Young offenders will learn to reap what they sow as part of a new community project.

Coventry's Youth Offending Service (YOS) is getting youngsters who have been in trouble with the law to overhaul a city allotment.

They will turn the over-grown plot in Humber Road, Stoke, into a vegetable patch and harvest the produce for community groups.

They will also turn part of the allotment into a garden.

Helen Pointon, a YOS reparation officer, who is helping to run the scheme, said as well as being hard work, the initiative will see the offenders give something back to the community.

She said: "The youngsters can really reflect on what they have done. It's going to be massively hard work and they'll get a bit of an education out of it. They will learn new skills, as well as giving something back to the community."

Work has already started but Helen said the youngsters will really start digging in during the summer holidays.

Young offenders aged from 10 to 17 who are on long court orders will take part in the project.

Paul McGinty, a restorative justice support worker, said the scheme would run for a number of years.

He added: "Because these young people are on community punishment orders, I can't think of a better way of giving something back to the community.

"They will be seeing something being grown, getting fruits from their labour."